Premium
RESPONSE‐PRODUCED TIMEOUTS UNDER A PROGRESSIVE‐RATIO SCHEDULE WITH A PUNISHED RESET OPTION
Author(s) -
Dardano J. F.
Publication year - 1974
Publication title -
journal of the experimental analysis of behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.75
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1938-3711
pISSN - 0022-5002
DOI - 10.1901/jeab.1974.22-103
Subject(s) - timeout , pecking order , reinforcement , schedule , reset (finance) , computer science , shock (circulatory) , psychology , social psychology , medicine , biology , operating system , computer network , evolutionary biology , financial economics , economics
Three behavioral options were available to food‐deprived pigeons: (1) pecking one key resulted in food reinforcement according to a 50‐response progressive‐ratio schedule, (2) pecking a second key reset the progressive‐ratio schedule to the initial progressive‐ratio step, and (3) pecking a third key produced a 3‐min timeout period. Pecks on the reset key were shocked. Under low and intermediate shock intensities, timeouts were not produced; Final Acceptance under high shock levels, timeouts were produced regularly. Timeouts occurred during the initial period of a progressive‐ratio step and were more frequent during the longer steps of the progressive‐ratio schedule. Response‐produced timeouts under these experimental conditions could be interpreted either as an escape from aversive behavioral options or as a low‐probability behavior emerging when the food reinforcement schedule exerted weaker control.